Oregon Sen. Wyden says he wants a solutions table too. That's good, actually great news, if the Democrats hold the Senate he will actually be in a position to put pressure on a meeting of stakeholders actually happening.

It truly is great that more and more elected people are coming out in favor of a solutions table, which leaves the various employees of the people of the United States from the "action agencies" or inaction agencies when it comes to actually saving the wild salmon and steelhead of the Snake as the main holdouts along with some others of a certain salmon be damned or dammed persuasion.

I thought I would share something that might not be of any real concern or could be a bad omen on the horizon. The governor of Oregon's statement the other day didn't mention breaching the dams and instead talked about spill and flow and managing a river at its natural state. This is the same guy who in February 2000 tells the American Fisheries Society that he is in favor of breaching the four lower Snake River dams. He later said it again in 2006 and in 2008 when some thought he might be Obama's pick for Secretary of the Interior the media went about reminding us that he was all about the breaching. And maybe he still is, but what better opportunity than his call for a table where a solution might be had to again mention his support for breaching. Has his position changed since Americans were transfixed on where young Elian Gonzalez should live? Has his position changed since the Democrats ensured Dubya's lame duck session with wins in 2006? Or did he not reiterate his support for breaching the dams because he wants the other side to come to the table? Perhaps taking a cue from Ali and doing a rope-a-dope?

I don't know, but my experience with those who count their worth by their ability to win elections in recent U.S. history is that 12 years ago, six years ago, four years ago are ancient history and positions evolve or evaporate over time. You know like in May Romney wasn't worried about 47 percent of Americans, then he basically said it again but admitted he didn't use the most elegant words and then last week he says he was completely wrong once someone did enough polling for him to figure out writing off 47 percent of the electorate means his opponent only need convince four percent of the remaining voters to pick him over Thurston Howell III.

Again, I must reiterate that out there and among the salmon advocates is this "solution" that isn't a solution where we build some more dams and attempt to manage the Snake and Columbia like they once were, but only at a higher elevation where we can still ship things via barge and make electricity. Hey, great idea, if it could ever work, but that's not being true to the wild fish (nor will it work). Be true to the wild fish, that's the only way you are ever going to come up with a real solution that works for the wild fish of the Snake River Basin. Let's say you are an organization who is committed to saving salmon in some capacity, don't let some organizational nuance blind you to being true to the wild fish. Save the wild fish, any organizational goal you might have had will be far exceeded once you allow being true to the wild fish to be your guide.

Yes, I know, I just lost 80 percent of the people with that be true to the wild fish remark, but we are selfish beings who think all of this is about us. Biodiversity be damned, we can make our own food. Hey, I read Adam Smith and buy into his selfish, sorry fish on my mind, self-interest motives theory that sprung capitalism. Then again even in being true to the wild fish, I could argue the self-interest motives inherent in that. But (back to what I was saying) this solution (if we ever come to it) isn't about or shouldn't be about how we transport more goods (stripping our natural resource wealth and shipping it off, over producing on the agriculture side and shipping it off), or our making enough electricity for the aluminum mills and the server farms or some other self-centered, human-centered, economy-centered mindset. (you know part of me wants to up the ante enough that I become the most annoying, inescapable voice so that the BPA, Corps and BOR find themselves on the side of breaching when someone points out a server farm I need to get my message out won't get the power it needs if they breach. At least the fish will be saved then. I wonder if that would work. Well, of course not, because these dams only produce four percent of the power up in these parts) Sorry back to the narrative...

The solution has to be about the wild fish, it has to stay true to the wild fish. And what do the wild fish need? Well, these fish that come back to Idaho and Eastern Oregon and Washington they primarily need a return of their migratory habitat. Their spawning and rearing habitat is essentially sound, especially here in central Idaho. The Clearwater Basin needs work in a lot of places, but the Salmon and it's tribs are in great shape. The wild fish need their migratory habitat restored, not manipulated, restored. That is how you are true to the wild fish. So, one of your friends may come to you at this table that might happen in the future and they may try to twist your arm over to this elevate and flow and tell you of emerging science like that guy back in April that sent me through the roof. Don't fall for it, be true to the wild fish. Save them, that's what has to be done. Don't think you've succeeded in anyway by coming to some agreement that might prolong their agony, sorry existence in this world, save them. Be true to the wild fish.

It is great to see that maybe the Nez Perce on two occasions, with hatchery fall Chinook and hatchery summer Chinook that maybe they can extend a lifeline to our wild fish without damaging the gene pool. But guard for the hubris of mankind and be true to the wild fish, that's the only way you are going to come to a solution that saves the wild fish.

And for me, would someone remind the representatives of the BPA, Corps and BOR and NOAA and all the elected officials that you see this as a management/employee meeting and they are the employees and this is a top down discussion. Take notes employees, there are things you are going to be doing, I don't care if you don't like them, you will do them just the same or find another career. Please someone instill that proper atmosphere in this meeting of stakeholders if it ever comes to pass. Also, if these employees of ours don't come to the table in the next few months, meet on our own and determine their fate. As I have always said, I do not understand how these action agencies have any real standing here, seems to me they have to follow the law (which they don't) and they have to do what we say (which they don't).

But beyond that, if you can only do one thing in this possible future meeting, be true to the wild fish and a solution that works for the wild fish you will find. If you just want to come to some decision so all of this can end, believe me, the wild fish will come to an end and they'll have you to thank for it.

Oh, since I really do wonder what you think, go ahead and comment below. Answer this question salmon advocates, will you be true to the wild fish? Yes, it is unfortunate that I must approve the comments first, but seriously if you had seen the guerrilla marketing comments and oddly phrased comments that repeated themselves over and over on blogs that were written months before the comments were made (akin to Rain Man answering a question from 30 minutes ago) you would have opted for the approve comments option as well. So, comment, don't worry, most things pass my filter.

The Nez Perce Fisheries branch that operates out of my hometown of McCall has an interesting study to add to the mix of studies out there. This one deals with Chinook of Johnson Creek, which is a creek that runs generally south to north before it veers to the west to meet with the East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon River just outside the town of Yellow Pine, Idaho.

The study seems to contradict the Hood River Study, which was more complete, longer term and most importantly dealt with an entirely different fish in an entirely different river. Read about the Nez Perce Study here.

It is interesting, it is hopeful, but the study is (to my knowledge) silent on (and this is not a criticism, just something to think about before you run off and join the dam corps) smolt to adult return rate meeting a sustainable number for eight consecutive years.

I used to hope that supplementation would work and maybe it can. It will take the Nez Perce to figure it out. I think they have two pretty positive studies involving two of their hatchery goals (fall Chinook and hatcheries that resemble free flowing rivers and now summer Chinook in Johnson Creek). I give them more credibility than many other operations because for one thing they don't look at every pebble, drop of water and molecule of air and equate it to a dollar sign. In other words they are not a part of the virus that sickens us. You know the one, this false idea that the only value things have is of a monetary nature and therefore nature is simply there for us to cash in. The Nez Perce don't think that way and they turned down the pocket liners at BPA, so there is some merit to this and other studies they have done.

My question is can it be replicated elsewhere? Can it be replicated on the South Fork, where these Johnson Creek fish get to go hang out with their buds bound for the McCall Fish Hatchery?

Another question can this be replicated and done in such a manner that we can get the appropriate smolt to adult return rate for sustainability?

Other questions (these are not only for Nez Perce, these are for everyone involved in either saving or killing off the salmon), what will it cost to ramp up, tweak and enhance our hatchery operations so that they along with the more important wild fish who only make up 20 percent of the run can come back at smolt to adult (SAR) rates large enough for sustainable runs of fish into the future? When the honest accounting is done, compare that to the cost benefit and the cost of keeping those four lower Snake River dams in place. If you are honest and not working at a place that doesn't earn its own money (BPA, Corps, BOR), the numbers you find will lead you to the right answer.

Also, consider the time we have left with our wild fish. Do we have the time to do this? Will we be shooting blindly in the dark led by only a few things this study reveals to the point that it takes far too long for us to come up with an alternative solution. Dams can be rebuilt, in the interim, breach them, give the fish a chance. If the wild salmon and wild steelhead of the Snake die off, rebuild your damn dams. If they recover, which they will, come to the understanding that we already replaced the power of those dams years ago and we don't miss them.

It is promising, but I don't believe anyone in the Nez Perce Tribe has caught the hubris that we can build a faster, stronger fish than nature. You know that hubris that has lead Pacific Northwest fisheries down the rabbit hole for the last 140 years.

Good job, now please see if it has practical application in replication and more importantly in building self-sustaining runs.

Of course, everyone watch how Bonneville Power Administration, Corps and BOR all jump on this and twist it into the second coming, which it is not.

For other good reading, Save Our Wild Salmon (pretty much nailed it again) with its truth detector on the BPA, Corps and BOR and their latest fiction novel with the words "Progress Report" in the title. You can read it here . Man, they make me wish I had a staff! It does not require my help, other than to say SNAP!

Thank you for coming to my blog about restoring wild salmon and steelhead in the Snake River Basin. At times, I may write something that is either controversial or something you do not agree with (this being America and all). In no way, does something I have written that you disagree with make you a victim. You are reading my opinion and if you disagree, that's not earth shattering to me. I expect that you might disagree. Disagreement is not something to be avoided. It's how we can learn. We learn by making mistakes and by listening to each other and figuring out where there are holes in our worldview. And everyone has gigantic gaping holes in their worldviews, including me and you. That being said, we continue to destroy our world. We need to stop doing that. You may argue jobs are important, and you are correct, they are important. However, our world and the health of our environment is far more important than some temporary job that your corporate master will take from you the second they see a better bottom line somewhere else. Consider that fact as we continue to destroy our world and as you read this blog. It ain't about you, yet then again it is about you in that it is about all of us and how we the destroyers of our planet have to wake up and start restoring what we've destroyed. Thank you again for reading, I really do hope something you read here is thought provoking. I also hope that you will join me in the hope that this will be the generation that saves wild salmon and steelhead in the Snake River Basin rather than the generation that watched as they passed into history.

Author

Michael Wells is an award winning journalist and photographer living in Idaho. He can be reached at salmonblog AT yahoo DOT com.